The point guard, who has been dealing with knee and calf issues, played 16 minutes Tuesday against San Antonio. On Wednesday, he says he ready to keep going.

The Clippers returned from their whirlwind adventure in Mexico, having answered some of their preseason questions with four games left before the regular-season opener.

Some … but not all.

Namely, how would the knee and/or calf of point guard Baron Davis respond the morning after his first game this exhibition season. Davis said there was no trepidation getting up and taking that first step Wednesday morning.

Davis played 16 minutes against the San Antonio Spurs in a 100-99 loss Tuesday night at Mexico City, recording seven assists and six points and committing one turnover.

"I'm feeling good — still a work in progress," Davis said Wednesday after practice. "I was learning a lot over there on the sidelines."

Was he getting tired of watching and waiting?

"Anxious more so than tired of being a spectator," he said. "Got to be careful about my minutes, pushing it too much. Don't want any setbacks at this point. Just want to continue to build, ramp up.

"It's feeling all right. It's still not in game shape, but who is at this point in the NBA?"

Coach Vinny Del Negro thought he would increase the minutes for Davis a bit in Thursday's game against Denver at Staples Center. He said he put Davis back in the game against the Spurs in the second quarter when Randy Foye jammed a wrist.

Said Del Negro: "He's been getting better. He's been working out a lot. He's still not in the condition we need him. He knows that. But that's why he's working every day. We still have a couple of weeks. And if he makes the progress in the next couple of weeks that he's made the last two weeks. I think he'll be ready to go."

Davis had a particularly close bond with assistant coach John Lucas last season and said they have kept in touch after Lucas was not retained by the Clippers.

"He's still there, motivating me from a distance," Davis said. "He's a person that I call and confide in when I need some motivation. He's always there.

"At this point, I'm loving the staff we have right now and the coaches we have. Lucas is always going to be with me. You can hear his voice through text messages."

Davis laughed and added: "Texting in all capitals."

Etc.

Center Chris Kaman, who had 14 points and 12 rebounds against the Spurs, was not at the late afternoon practice, having been excused to attend to personal business.

Kaman's backup, DeAndre Jordan, tweaked his right hamstring early in Tuesday's game and could be out four or five days, Del Negro said. Jordan wanted to go back in, but the training staff vetoed the idea.

"It was in the first quarter because I remember when we came to a timeout I started feeling it," said Jordan, who was limited to just under 7 1/2 minutes. "I thought it was one of those things where maybe it just tightened up and when I get back and warm it up, it'll go away. But it didn't.

"I'm trying to hurry up and come back as soon as possible because I don't want to miss any time."